Campus de Carcavelos Rua da Holanda,1 2775-405 Carcavelos +351 213 801 600 Novasbe.pt Accredited by Member of
A Work Project presented as part of the requirements for the Award of a Master Degree in
Management from the NOVA - School of Business & Economics
EXPLORING STRATEGIC SCENARIOS TO DEVELOP THE WEDDING
ACCESSORIES BRAND CATA VASSALO
MARIA FILIPA CARVALHO PARENTE DRUMMOND BORGES,
STUDENT NR 26174
A Project carried out on the Master in Management Program / Stream in Luxury
Management, under the supervision of Catherine da Silveira
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EXPLORING STRATEGIC SCENARIOS TO DEVELOP THE WEDDING
ACCESSORIES BRAND CATA VASSALO
Cata Vassalo is a wedding accessories brand that sells hand-made jewelry for both brides and
wedding guests. This project aims to explore strategic scenarios to develop the brand Cata
Vassalo, without losing its’ main characteristics, and after understanding the wedding
accessories market dynamics. Accordingly, three scenarios were drawn taking into
consideration the distinctive consumer journeys in this market. The first will explore
consumers of the Involvement and Simplicity Journey, the second consumers of the
Involvement and Exclusivity Journey and the third consumers of the Involvement and
Simplicity Journey abroad. We recommend the brand to develop the third scenario, as it is
the one with higher growth expectations.
This work used infrastructure and resources funded by Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia (UID/ECO/00124/2013, UID/ECO/00124/2019 and Social Sciences DataLab, Project 22209), POR Lisboa (LISBOA-01-0145-FEDER-007722 and
Social Sciences DataLab, Project 22209) and POR Norte (Social Sciences DataLab, Project 22209)
Consumer Decision Journey
Brand Positioning
Wedding Accessories Market
2 TABLE OF CONTENT 1. Introduction……….3 2. Contextual Background……….……….…3 a. The Brand……….……….……….………3 i. Products……….……….……….…..4 ii. Target……….……….………...4
iii. Distribution Channels………4
iv. Communication Channels……….….5
b. Concepts used to address the thesis topic……….……..5
i. Consumer Decision Journey………..6
ii. Brand Awareness and Image………..………...7
iii. Brand Positioning………...8
3. Addressing the Work Project topic………....9
a. Methodology………..…9
i. Research Approach………9
i) Pre-Recruiting Questionnaire and Qualitative in-depth Interviews……….……10
ii) Social Media Listening Research ………...………….11
b. Research Insights………..11
i. Consumer Decision Journeys……….…..12
1st - The Involvement and Beauty Journey……..…...……..13
2nd - The Involvement and Exclusivity Journey……….…..15
3rd - The Non-Involvement Journey. …….………...16
ii. Brand Awareness and Image………....18
iii. Current Brand Positioning ………...…....18
4. Discussion: Scenarios do Develop the brand………19
a. Scenario 1 – Explore Involvement and Beauty Journey Consumers…….……..19
b. Scenario 2 – Explore Involvement and Exclusivity Journey Consumers...…….21
c. Scenario 3 – Explore Involvement and Beauty Journey Consumers Abroad………..………23
5. Theoretical Implications...……….26
6. Work Project Limitations ………...…………..…26
7. References ………..27
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1. INTRODUCTION
Cata Vassalo, CV, is a four years old wedding accessories brand that was able to build a solid
position in the market thanks to the distinct quality of the products and a strong presence in
social media platforms, which led to significant brand awareness results. The “wedding
market” seemed an interesting topic for research as it is growing in Portugal, and in what concerns accessories, it was interesting to study what was expected to be a low involvement
category and find characteristics of high involvement. CV seemed the most interesting brand
in its’ market as it was successfully able to position its’ accessories for a wedding occasion,
while the main competitors could not give up the security and comfort a general positioning
and communication might bring. We did not have the opportunity to formally meet the brand
creator, nevertheless, we accepted the challenge and developed several scenarios for this
brand to grow.
2. CONTEXTUAL BACKGROUND
1. The Brand
The Cata Vassalo brand was created in 2015 by its founder and creative director until the
present day: Catarina Vassalo. Accordingly, telling the story of the founder fits the purpose
of explaining the story of the brand. Catarina Vassalo was born in Lisbon. In 1998 Catarina
finished her studies in Metal Restauration. She moved to England with her husband where
she started to sell accessories made by her own hands door-to-door and at events, ending up
selling in several stores. Catarina decided to move to Valencia, Spain, where she was
impressed and inspired by the disruptive way Spanish ladies would use their accessories. She
opened “Biju e Etc” where jewelry and headdresses were sold, being the first sale at Kate
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Portugal. With knowledge from different markets, and an increased passion for accessories,
Catarina launches Cata Vassalo brand online in 2015, and in 2017 opens the Atelier in
Alcabideche, where a growing portfolio of products are sold (Chaves, 2019). Please check
appendix 1 for the logo picture.
i. Products
Cata Vassalos’ main offer are headdresses for brides. The brand offers special editions and a
semi-annual catalogue, personalized to each brides’ taste in what concerns size and colors.
Prices vary from 60€ to 480€. For guests, Cata Vassalo offers headdresses as well, in the
form of formal hats (with prices from 112€ to 250€), clutches (all 60€) and headbands, that can be used in the day-to-day life (with prices varying from 98€ to 125€). CV also offers
headdresses for kids (that vary from 38€ to 75€) and hairpins (36€ to 42€). The range of
products further includes earrings, with prices from 26€ to 99€. All the products are hand
made by Catarina, the founder and creative director. Please check Appendix 2 for pictures.
ii. Target
Cata Vassalo’s communication efforts should be designed to appeal to brides and wedding
guests from a medium to high social group in Portugal looking for the extra detail to wear
when getting married or attending a wedding.
iii. Distribution Channels
Cata Vassalo currently uses an Omni Channel strategy: the brand sells both online and
offline, and the experiences are integrated. Brides can schedule an appointment and go to the
Atelier, in Alcabideche, near to Lisbon; or purchase online in the brand website. In both
processes, and considering that each bride is different, CV offers the chance to presentially
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iv. Communication Channels
Cata Vassalo decided to exclusively focus its communication on social media platforms,
namely Instagram and Facebook, where professional photos with models and client’s
experiences with the products are shared, and where a space for conversation is proposed.
Instagram is where the brand decided to invest. CVs’ account has 33 200 followers, including
other wedding related brands and several celebrities. These celebrities, chosen according to
the connection with the brands’ values, have been key for the growth of Cata Vassalo in this
social media platform, as well as the tagging function: every time someone (can be a
consumer or another brand) posts a picture of a bride that is using Cata Vassalo, the viewer
of the post can be directed to the brands’ page. That led people that followed these different
accounts (from dress brands accounts to photographer’s accounts), to visit Cata Vassalo’s
Instagram and possibly the website for the first time. Please check Appendix 3.
2. Concepts used to address the thesis topic
Considering that the objective of this work project is to develop the brand Cata Vassalo, it
seems important to explore both the consumer decision journey of a bride when deciding her
dress and accessories and the brand image and positioning concepts. The Consumer Decision
Journey is a relevant tool to conceptualize the buyers’ process until purchase, how people
arrived to the brand, explore how they behave, in order to adapt, improve or overcome key
factors that influence decisions (McKinsey Quarterly, 2009). Brand image, the perception
consumers have about a brand, is considered relevant, as consumers are not just buying a
product or service; they are buying what a brand stands for, and hence it is fitting to
communicate in order to achieve a brand image that matches both the personality of the brand
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driving force behind all actions, hence influencing crucial strategic factors such as how to
differentiate from competitors, defining the target market, developing service and pricing,
effective and creative decision making and tools to win clients (Frederiksen, 2017). We
define below the model of consumer decision journey and the brand image and positioning
concepts.
i. Consumer Decision Journey
The emergence of social media and the consequent consumer rising power in terms of
decision making changed the moments where brand can influence consumers. The Consumer
Decision Journey model (CDJ) seems the best approach to, in this reality, understand what
these new moments are and develop the best strategy (Edelman, 2010). Here is the model
designed by Mckinsey & Company.
As visible in Figure 1, the CDJ is composed of four stages. The first is the Initial
Consideration stage, where thanks to the exposure to recent touch points and consequent
brand perceptions, the consumer stablishes an initial consideration of a set of brands to
purchase (McKinsey Quarterly, 2017). The second stage is Active Evaluation, where
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consumers add and subtract brands from the group formed in the initial consideration stage.
Consumers are gaining more control over the process: two thirds of the touch points during
the active-evaluation phase involve consumer driven marketing activities, such as internet
reviews and word-of-mouth recommendations from known peers, as well as in-store
interactions and past experiences takeaways (McKinsey Quarterly, 2017). The third stage
is the Moment of purchase, were consumers can be influenced by product packaging,
placement and by salespeople (McKinsey Quarterly, 2009). The fourth stage is the Post
purchase experience, where consumers experience using the product, and according to that
experience, decide how the next journey will be like next time that need arises. There are two
possible scenarios: either the consumer can be triggered to go to the first stage, experiencing
the cycle once again from the beginning, or on the other hand, the consumer can become
loyal to the brand. In that case, the consumer remains in the loyalty loop, meaning that for a
finite period of time he or she will only go through the third and fourth stage of the cycle in
future purchase scenarios. According to their behavior, consumers can be described as active
loyals, who stick with the brand and recommend it to others; or passive loyals, who do not
recommend to peers and are more easily open to messages from competitors that give them
a reason to switch (McKinsey Quarterly, 2009). It is hence critical that, after developing a
deep knowledge of how consumers make decisions, there is a focus of strategies and
investments on those most influential points, in order to increase return on investment
(Edelman, 2010).
ii. Brand Awareness and Image
Brand awareness “measures the number of people who know what the brand stands for and are aware of what promises this sign has given, namely in terms of know-how (which
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products, which services)” (Kapferer, 2004, p158). The brand image is defined by “Consumers’ perceptions about a brand, as reflected by the brand associations held in consumer memory” (Keller et al., 2013, p72). Those associations may arise from the brand’s
marketing activities, from direct experience and also from shared information platforms
(consumer reports, communities’ opinions). Associations may include some attributes of the brand, a person, symbol, country or ideal.
iii. Brand Positioning
Brand positioning is the “act of designing the company’s offer and image so that it occupies
a distinct and valued place in the target customer’s mind” (Keller et al., 2013, p79). Keller defines brand positioning according to the following concepts: 1) the target consumer, 2)
competitors, 3) points of parity and 4) points of difference (Keller et al, 2013). The target is
inferred from a market that is segmented, in order to be able to “find distinct groups of
consumers who have similar needs and consumer behavior and thus require similar marketing
mixes” (Keller et al., 2013, p 82). There are several methods to segment a market, namely demographic segmentation (e.g. age, sex); behavioral segmentation, (e.g. usage behavior,
occasion purchasing), and brand loyalty, (e.g. degree of commitment of consumers and their
willingness to switch). In spite of the method, there are 4 criteria that have to be met:
identifiability (easily determined), size (adequate sales potential), accessibility (possibility to
actually reach the segment) and responsiveness (ability for the segment to respond to
marketing campaigns). (Keller et al., 2013). Competition is composed by all brands that
serve the target in the product type level, the product category level, the product class level
and at the benefit level. (Keller et al, 2013). Points of Difference (POD) are “attributes or
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they could not find to the same extent with a competitive brand” (Keller et al., 2013, p83). They can be functional (performance-related) considerations or abstract (imagery-related)
considerations. They also must address to three main criteria: relevance, distinctiveness and
believability (Keller et al., 2013). Points of Parity (POP) are the associations that may be
shared with other brands. There are category points of parity, “associations that consumers
see as being necessary to legitimize and turn credible the offerings within a certain product
or service category, meaning they represent necessary but not sufficient conditions for brand
choice” (Keller et al, 2013, pg. 84); and competitive points of parity, that “are those associations designed to negate competitors points of difference” (Keller et al, 2013, pg. 84).
3. ADDRESSING THE WORK PROJECT TOPIC
1. Methodology
i. Research Approach
In order to study the Consumer Decision Journey and the current brand image and positioning
of CV, we decided to focus our data collection on brides versus wedding guests, guaranteeing
more focused responses and hence more detailed insights, as the brand focus also goes to
brides. The information was obtained through qualitative research, in the form of i) in-depth
semi structured interviews, where interviewees were selected based on a Pre-recruiting
questionnaire. Qualitative research was considered the best option because there was a need
to understand behaviors, personal opinions and patterns (Berkwits, 1998). We also collected
data through ii) social media listening research, in order to infer brand awareness and brand
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The Pre-Recruiting Questionnaire was conducted online (see Appendix 4) and sent to
portuguese brides that got engaged from 2015 to 2019, given that the brand was first available
to be purchased in 2015. From the 46 respondents, 54,3% where 24-28 years old and 26,1%
between 29 to 33 years old, which matches the national average age of brides of 31 years in
the last 4 years, according to Pordata, 2018. For more detailed info please see Appendix 5.
In terms of level of education, 69,2% completed a master degree and 26,1% an undergraduate
degree. The majority of respondents had a religious wedding, which does not entirely
represent the portuguese population (Goulão, 2018).
A Qualitative in-depth interview was made to 21 portuguese brides who got married from
2015 to 2019 that were selected from the Pre-Recruiting Questionnaire according to their
level of education and their willingness to participate to a qualitative interview. The level of
education was a criteria as it constitutes a good proxy to the social status variable (Marktest,
1998), where the higher the level of education, the higher the probability that the interviewee
belongs to a middle/high social class, the class where the great majority of Cata Vassalos’
consumers belong to. Therefore, every respondent with an undergraduate degree or higher Figure 2: Level of Education and Age of Pre-Recruiting Questionnaire Respondents
4,30% 26,10% 69,60%
Level of Education in the Pre-Recruiting Questionnaire
High School Undergraduate Degree Masters Degree PhD
8,70%
54,30% 26,10%
8,70%2,20%
Age in the Pre-Recruiting Questionnaire
[18-23] [24-28] [29-33] [34-39] [40 ou acima]
Source: Own Research, Pre-Recruiting Questionnaires
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level was contacted. During the interview, in order to get to feelings and cognitions that are
below rational or conscious awareness, an association projective technique was used (Nunez,
2015). It tries to eliminate the normal rational connections and go deeper into the emotional
state of the interviewee, taking respondents out of their comfort zone, in order to generate a
more clear, deep and honest answer (Parry, 2018). For the purpose of this work project, the
question used was “If you had to describe yourself, what you were feeling, emotionally, spiritually, about your look; all emotions together, on your wedding day, and relate it to an
animal, what would it be?”. Please check the interview guide in Appendix 6.
i) Social Media Listening Research: In order to get insights on brand
awareness and brand image, a social media listening research was conducted on Instagram,
the main social media platform of the brand. From June 2019 to December 2019, important
mentions and posts, likes and comments were studied in order to formulate hypotheses.
2. Research Insights
After collecting the necessary information some insights were drawn. 20 out of 21 brides
used headdresses, and 21 used earrings, which suggests that these two types of accessories
are relevant for a bride. When engaged, the majority of brides do not want to “loose much
time” with accessories while so busy with preparation work. Accordingly, brides searched wedding related content (dresses, accessories, wedding venues and wedding themes) mostly
online; prior, during and after the engagement period. Almost all respondents did know Cata
Vassalo (17/21) thanks to social media, mostly Instagram (15/17) and Facebook (2/17);
which reveals the importance of social media for brand awareness. The ones that did not
know the brand were not from Lisbon (2/4) or got engaged in 2015 (2/4). From the 17
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the beginning (2/3 before they got engaged) that they wanted to use CV on their wedding.
The 17 respondents mentioned that they used a simple dress and therefore, the headdress
would be essential to give personalization to the look. Those who knew and did not buy CV
referred three main reasons not to purchase headdresses from the brand: 1) They inherited
accessories from their family (5/14), 2) the brand was too expensive (3/14), and 3) the brand
is too extravagant for their taste (3/14).
In what concerns earrings, no interviewee chose CV, even though some bought as a guest
for other ceremonies. The main assumptions of why they did not buy are, from the most to
the least mentioned, because the brides inherited or were offered earrings, because they
bought them from an alternative brand that they knew from the beginning (by order of
relevance there are jewelry shops, Carolina Curado, Juliana Bezerra and Swarovski), or
because CV’s earrings were too expensive.
In what concerns heritage, for both types of accessories, it is relevant to mention that every
time a bride had some family jewelry borrowed, they would use it thanks to its’ emotional
meaning and even brides that did not inherit said that if they could, they would have loved to
use those pieces.
i. Consumer Decision Journeys
When evaluating the consumers’ journey, the data suggested that there is a pre-stablished
way to get married in Portugal within the studied social group, namely, there is a fixed
combination of brands considered for the more significant aspects of a wedding: the dress,
accessories, catering and wedding venue. To be precise, this “established set” includes
mainly Pureza de Mello Breyner, Stoa and Iza Van, three brands in which dresses are
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handmade jewelry; Amor e Lima for catering and finally Solar de Pancas or Casa do
Marquês as the venue, if families do not own a property (or quinta in portuguese). To get in
this pre-arranged set as a bride does not mean purchasing these exact brands, but that the
bride would be satisfied with a similar concept. Our assumption is that this set of brands
“emerged” around 2017, as brides prior to that year believe that there was not so much organized offer, and that what they found were “smaller” brands with low expression, that
were suggested by a third party. With the rise of social media, the above-mentioned brands
seem to be the ones that stood out from the crowd and presented brides with a solution.
Taking these insights into consideration, there are three types of journeys a bride can take:
the 1st Journey if she is aware of the pre-established socially recognized set of brands and
goes along with it, the 2nd Journey if she is aware and chooses to go apart from it as much
as possible, and the 3rd Journey if wedding accessories are not a high involvement product
category for her.
1st - The Involvement and Beauty Journey
This is one of the most frequent journeys in our sample (11/21 interviewees). Women from
this journey rely deeply on social media and end up influencing their taste according to what
is more commonly shown to them. Searches for wedding content are not only made by brides
as one could expect, but single and already married women as well, which reveals that these
consumers have a high emotional involvement with the category. Additionally, it is relevant
to add that women from the three journeys value the same aspects: beauty and physical
appearance, uniqueness and simplicity; nevertheless, they seem to give different levels of
importance to each. Accordingly, women from the 1st journey equally value simplicity,
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want to call all the attention to them, nevertheless, as they recognize that the bride is the main
character of the wedding, they want to look beautiful, with a “less is more” kind of look.
Initial Consideration Set: The Common Opinion - I know and I am already familiar
to the set of brands proposed for my wedding. I got to them through social media, thanks to
famous people, influencers and suggestions from the platforms. Friends of mine, married
single or engaged, also follow their social media platforms, we discuss it together. (Filipa
Drummond Borges, based on extracts from the interviews).
Active Evaluation: The Common Opinion - I check similar brands to the wedding
accessories brands previously selected and compare. The main factors for me to decide
among them are Price, Quality and Simplicity. As I have a quite defined idea of what I want,
there is not much external influence. If I need help, it is just a second opinion, the decision
will be almost entirely mine. (Filipa Drummond Borges, based on extracts from the
interviews).
Moment of Purchase: It is pretty much decided already, hence there is no significant
store or store assistant influence.
Loyalty Loop: The Common Opinion - I got the chance to experience what I
was previously dreaming, and I want to give that feeling and opportunity to others, so I will
recommend these brands to my friends and family. There is no repurchase of headdresses,
“I followed her social media for a long time. It was a hit on Instagram, even before I got engaged. I knew from the beginning I wanted a Cata Vassalo headdress” (27, Used Cata Vassalo for her wedding)
“There was Black Friday, and I already followed another brand, I think it is called Carolina Curado, and it had a promotion on the model I had laid eyes on” (27, Used Carolina Curado for her wedding)
“It Was 100% my decision” (24, Used Cata Vassalo for her wedding)
“I already knew her and owned some of her earrings. I saw Cata but still Carolina has a great thing: her pieces are beautiful and not too expensive.” (27, Used Carolina Curado for her wedding)
“It Was 90% me and 10% my mother, the store assistant advised but did not really influenced me)” (24, Used Cata Vassalo for her wedding)
15 possibly only earrings. I continue to follow the brands’ social platforms. (Filipa Drummond
Borges, based on extracts from the interviews).
2nd - The Involvement and Exclusivity Journey
This is the rarest journey in our sample (1/21). It also derives from a deep dive in social media
that shapes personal tastes and likes. In this case, the urge to feel unique overpowers
simplicity. Beauty is key as brides want to be at their best and do not mind being the center
of attention. They want people to look at them, be amazed, and never see anything similar in
the next few years. That feeling gives them confidence.
Initial Consideration Set: The Common Opinion - The pre-fixed set for wedding
brands is already known so I reject it. I got to them through social media, thanks to famous
people, influencers and suggestions from the platforms. I saw it too much. I hence followed
some less recognized brands that match my personality and tastes. (Filipa Drummond
Borges, based on extracts from the interviews).
Active Evaluation: The Common Opinion - What drives my choice is escaping the
pattern. Uniqueness and Quality are the factors that help me choose among brands. I might
occasionally confirm my evaluation with a very close person who knows me well (Filipa
Drummond Borges, based on extracts from the interviews).
“I feel that Cata Vassalo has beautiful pieces, but it is so seen already” (25, Used Juliana Bezerra for her wedding) ” I arrived at MadBridal through Instagram, before I was even engaged. I followed also Pureza long ago. I followed
Juliana as well and I had already seen a picture online and loved it. I said when I get married, I want to use this earrings” (25, Used Juliana Bezerra for her wedding)
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Moment of Purchase: The Common Opinion - It is pretty much decided already,
hence there is no significant store or store assistant influence in my decision. (Filipa
Drummond Borges, based on extracts from the interviews).
Loyalty Loop: There is no repurchase of headdresses, possibly only earrings. Active
recommendation is a reality but only to a closer circle, as uniqueness is key.
3rd - The Non-Involvement Journey
This is the second most common case in our sample (9/21). Women do not really pay
attention to accessories, not before nor after getting engaged. It is not a priority, and they
give the final months or even weeks to take care of that as quickly and effectively as possible.
They can be influenced by social media as well, not really in the choice of accessories, as it
is a low involvement category for them, but for the dress and wedding venues. Further from
Facebook and Instagram, brides also go for Pinterest, to get a general perception of a style
they would like without advocating immediately to any specific brand. Women from this
journey seem, above any other characteristics, to be really devoted to family, refer that their
way of living is simple, and what really matters in their wedding day is the vow and
commitment they are assuming. In this journey, even though brides always want to look
beautiful, simplicity concerns seem to overpower uniqueness and physical appearance
concerns.
Initial Consideration Set: The Common Opinion - As I do not really pay attention to
accessories, I did not research much about it. If anything, what is on my mind is a jewelry
shop where I went previously or that I know (Filipa Drummond Borges, based on extracts
from the interviews).
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Active Evaluation: The Common Opinion -I check rapidly the first brands that I can
find and like through social media. As I do not have a defined idea, external influence is key.
My mother is the biggest influencer, followed by friends and lastly hairdressers. The main
factors to decide are easy access, fast service, price, and beauty (Filipa Drummond Borges,
based on extracts from the interviews).
Moment of Purchase: The Common Opinion - I can change my opinion not only in
what concerns brands but between products as well if switching costs are low. Store
assistants influence my opinion. As I am quite “vulnerable” to external influence, getting too
much feedback can turn to a negative experience, as I just get more indecisive and tempted
to please whoever is there to help (Filipa Drummond Borges, based on extracts from the
interviews).
Loyalty Loop: The Common Opinion - There is no repurchase of
headdresses, possibly only earrings. There is no active recommendation. I will stop looking
for bridal accessories. Most chances are I will not even remember the name of the brand I
chose for my accessories. “I can give you the location, if you need help!” (Filipa Drummond
Borges, based on extracts from the interviews).
“For me this was quite indifferent so I believed my mother would do a good job choosing for me” (23, Used Cata Vassalo for her wedding)
I was looking for bride stuff, and as I was walking down the street, I found a bridal shop and I got in” (25, Used Jewelry Shop accessories for her wedding)
“Everything is super expensive and so I am thinking about doing something myself, but I am still just thinking.” (27, Did not purchase anything yet)
“The problem is that Cata was too far. I bought everything at lunch times” (48, Used Rosa Clará for her wedding)
“It was quite easy to find what I was looking for since I wanted something really simple and They had a lot of txana stuff, so we were there for 30min and we chose what my mother already had chosen” (23, Used Cata Vassalo for her
wedding)
“I bought ones in Leitão Irmãos, but then I did not love it, so I bought a second pair, that were brighter, in another store in front” (23, Used Jewelry Shop accessories for her wedding)
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ii. Brand Awareness and Brand Image
In what concerns brand awareness, the analysis suggested that the brand might have hit the
maximum viewership expected given its’ size. According to the social media listening research, both regular and famous people keep sharing pictures with products. Even if one
does not follow Cata Vassalo on Instagram, but follows wedding photographer accounts,
wedding dress brands accounts or wedding venues accounts, the name Cata Vassalo will keep
showing up. The brand keeps posting, from new releases, to brides’ real pictures from their weddings, to influencers wearing products, to posts informing that the brand will be present
in a market, to consumers reviews. To summarize, it is arguable that the brand achieved a
high level of awareness and engagement for its size. In what concerns brand image, our
research suggests that Cata is “the brand” for accessories, not only for weddings, but for all ceremonies. In posts related to Catas’ products there is always a tone of happiness, a mention of gratitude or an amazed perspective towards the beauty and quality of the products. Please
check Appendix 3.
According to the information obtained from interviewees and from the social media listening
research, we listed the current associations.
ii) Current Brand Positioning
As previously stated, brand positioning involves the target, competitors, points of difference
and points of parity. The current target of Cata Vassalo are brides and wedding guests from Source: Own Research, based on the qualitative interviews.
Table 1: Main Cata Vassalo Brand Associations Positive:
-Headdresses and Earrings -Beauty
-Heritage / Family Pieces -Princess / Queen
Negative:
- Extravagant - Expensive - Too Much for me - Too big Earrings -Gold / Silver
-Flowers -Vintage
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a medium to high social group in Portugal looking for an extra detail to wear when getting
married or attending a wedding. The main competitors are other accessories brands, namely
Carolina Curado and Juliana Bezerra for mostly the first and second journey’s types of
consumers. There are also the wedding dress brands that include accessories in their portfolio
but are not really devoted to them, like Rosa Clará and Pronovias, and all jewelry shops, that
compete with Cata Vassalo mostly for the third journey type of consumers. The point of
difference is the unique range of beautiful products made by hand by the designer herself
and the point of parity is the wish to make all women feel beautiful and special. Accordingly
, the current positioning statement can be formulated as follows: “For all women looking
for an extra detail to wear when getting married or attending a wedding, Cata Vassalo is a
wedding accessories brand that offers beautiful and unique products made directly from the
designers’ hands, allowing every women to feel as beautiful and special as in their own dreams”.
4. DISCUSSION: SCENARIOS TO DEVELOP THE BRAND
After drawing hypotheses of what are the current consumer journeys and the brand image
and positioning of Cata Vassalo, three scenarios were formulated in order to develop the
wedding accessories brand, explained using the CDJ model and showing the strengths and
threats of implementing each strategy. A scenario including 3rd Journey consumers was not
made as our belief is that the brand should not focus on them. If these brides end up
purchasing Cata Vassalos’ products it is quite random as they do not value the category. a) Scenario 1 – Explore Involvement and Beauty Journey Consumers
The first scenario, as the title suggests, will have as its scope the development of strategies
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consumers in the initial consideration stage, a high social media presence is essential. CV
should keep posting the same type of content, take advantage of influencers, famous people,
models and regular brides using their products, leverage on the tagging function and on other
platforms from different brands (photographers, dress brands, wedding venues’ accounts). Models and famous people are relevant not only because they have a lot of followers, which
is expected to increase viewership and awareness, but because they help to build a “dream aura” around CV’s products. With the aim of further building a position for CV in consumers’ minds, the brand could be present in more markets and fairs related either to jewelry or to
weddings, and to further invest in Instagram and Facebooks’ advertising functions. With that help, consumers that fit the brands’ target can be reached and a specific target message sent to them, according to the journey and the stage they are in. As the Evaluation stage is
concerned, and as consumers value price, quality and simplicity as criteria to choose among
brands, Cata Vassalo could simultaneously explore consumers looking for more quality by
having a line of products that have more details and hand craft art at a higher price point; and
consumers who prefer a “less is more” style, by having another line with simpler designs at
a lower price point. The first offer should be presented with models and famous people as a
priority comparatively to regular brides, as it will increase the “dream aura” around products
for all consumers; while the second should have regular brides as a priority compared with
models and famous people, as reality and simplicity are better conveyed. Consumers will be
consequently triggered to dream of using Cata Vassalo products for their weddings, some of
them will opt for the more sophisticated and hence expensive products, while others will opt
for the simpler ones at a comparatively lower price point. Price ranges for the first mentioned
21
earrings 30€ to 50€ and 50€ to 80€ respectively. In what concerns the Moment of Purchase,
and as ideas are already quite fixed in consumers’ minds, sales assistants should be careful
when advising customers, saying “What do you think of this option?” and “I think this option meets your criteria” rather than “This would look better on you” or “this is what is selling more right now”. Always complement the bride and provide the best service possible. In what concerns Loyalty, Cata Vassalo should help consumers to keep connected to the brand
by keeping posting pictures of real brides on their pages with their permission and sharing
their positive reviews. Furthermore, Cata Vassalo could send a letter to the bride
congratulating her for her wedding day and for the trust she deployed on the brand with a
picture of her using the accessory she bought, and another one on the 1st year anniversary.
Brides will be surprised and content with the gesture, and that will incentivize them not only
to keep in touch with the brand, possibly buying another product, but also to advise it to
peers.
The Strength of this strategy is its’ easiness to implement. All steps mentioned are just the
consequence of a continued process that has been conducted for some amount of time, and
hence the brand is able to leverage on its’ experience and on the positive brand equity. The Threat is that it is arguable that in what concerns media presence, Cata Vassalo is about to,
or already has, achieved the maximum viewership and fame for a wedding accessories brand
on these platforms. Therefore, this scenario is not expected to trigger a high impact on sales.
b) Scenario 2 - Explore Involvement and Exclusivity Journey Consumers
The second scenario has as its scope the development of strategies to attract 2nd journey
consumers, consumers that were before out of reach. Note that consumers that already
22
think that Cata is a “too much seen” brand. In what concerns recommendations, firstly it is
recommended that another section of products is created, products that have noticeable
quality and beauty, but most of all, that are restricted. Products should be restricted in
production quantities, each design should be afterwards adapted according to each bride
tastes and personality (which makes it even more unique) and according to the complexity
of the piece, the price could be set at a higher point. A new name, in order to mark the
difference between the two, is suggested, for example, “Cata Vassalo, Exclusive Collection”
(See Appendix 7 for a logo example). Having this said, in what concerns the initial
consideration set touch point, Cata Vassalo should keep using social media as the major
communication channel, as these brides also research a lot online, but with an additional
social media account with a different transmitted message: that this line is special and hence
restricted to the lucky few. This new account, that is a restricted section of the Cata Vassalo
main account, should pay special attention in what concerns tagging, following, commenting
and liking. We need people to see this new account, to know this new line of products,
nevertheless, we need to keep restricted and therefore, the brand should only appear and be
mentioned in relevant accounts, and eliminate any other mention that will just produce noise
and too much repetition to these new consumers. In what concerns the Evaluation stage, and
as exclusivity is the main criteria to decide between brands, social media posts should contain
more famous people and influencers, as it helps to build the “dream aura” , instead of regular
brides, who will probably trigger a feeling of “it is used and seen already”. Videos of products
being handmade can also be added, as they are able to reveal the quality, beauty and
uniqueness of each piece. In what concerns the Moment of Purchase, the brand could create
23
be in the same Atelier as Cata Vassalo, because it can help consumers to believe they belong
to a different and more exquisite group. In what concerns consumer service, suggestions are
the same as for the 1st Journey consumers. In what concerns loyalty, the brand could send
letters as was suggested for regular Cata Vassalo consumers and a special surprise could be
given to exclusive collection consumers on their first year of engagement, namely small
simple earrings with the same color/flower/stone as their wedding headdress/earrings.
The Strength of this 2nd Scenario is that it attracts a segment of consumers that were out of
reach, consumers who are willing to pay at a higher price point. The Threats are the effort,
the high investment, the creativity struggle to bring a brand new section of products, the fact
that this group of consumers constitute a minority in the weddings market, which increases
the risk of this investment and of losing consumers from the 1st Journey, as focus is dispersed.
c) Scenario 3– Explore Involvement and Beauty Journey Consumers Abroad
Given that Cata Vassalo is in a great position in the portuguese wedding accessories market,
the possibility to expand abroad should be considered. In order to build the smoothest process
possible, the brand should focus on a country where there are consumers with a similar
behavior to the described 1st Journey consumers. One of the best hypotheses to consider
might be Spain, firstly, because Catarina Vassalo, the founder, already experienced working
there with a previous brand, and hence, has the basic knowledge of competition, contacts,
networks, of the market as it is. Secondly, Spain is close, and it is easier to expand to a close
country, not only geographically, but also culturally where ceremonies are concerned.
Thirdly, portuguese brides already mention that their decisions have a lot of Spanish wedding
culture influence, and thus, it seems that a proximity between behaviors and tastes is met,
24
Fourthly, Spain seems to be the country where brides invest more in their wedding, that has
a lot of known wedding related brands and going there might also increase brand equity. It is
expected that the brand would face a higher level of competition, nonetheless, there is also a
bigger market to share among players. Furthermore, Spanish ladies in general seem more
concerned about their image and beauty, more “vaidosas” in portuguese, and accordingly, when showing the portfolio of CV, we got feedback like “I really like the accessories! they
are very nice! I think that kind of products are very demanding nowadays. But I would use
that kind of accessories not only for weddings but also parties or formal events as well” (27,
Not yet engaged). That means that accessories like Cata Vassalos’ in Spain are of interest for
simpler occasions than a wedding, which opens doors for more markets for the brand to grow.
Having this said, the brand should start selling online and when possible open an Atelier in a
central city in Spain, so orders in Spain do not overload the small portuguese Atelier in
Alcabideche. In order for the brand to enter the Initial Consideration Set of these new
Spanish consumers, the website needs then to contemplate the Spanish language. There
should be an investment in social media through a Spanish account, where Spanish celebrities
and influencers are contacted, like María Pombo, Maria Frubies Casilda Finat and Maria
de Jaime. Models should also be Spanish ladies and photos could be taken in known Spanish
places that fit the brand image that Cata wants to convey, in order to enable a connection
with the new buyers. Further from this, the process would be quite similar to the one pursued
in the first scenario. In what concerns Evaluation, and as the main criteria to decide among
options are price, quality and simplicity, and as Spanish brides are expected to be a bit more
bold, two lines could be drawn, one more detailed and more special, at a higher price point,
25
the more detailed line of products, as that is what catches the attention of brides that do not
know the brand yet. In what concerns the Moment of Purchase, the decision on the product
is almost taken, but it is crucial to leave a great impression, as the brand is new, in order to
incentivize referral, that would gradually bring new customers and increase brand awareness.
The store should meet Cata Vassalos’ intended brand image while connecting with the Spanish culture. It could also display the Atelier on the back, through a glass or a window, to
show how thorough the work to build each product is. Finally, in order to help build loyalty,
the brand should make sharing of content easy. In all social media and in the website the
option to share or sent as a private message to peers should be available. Furthermore,
pictures of happy brides using their products could be shared, as well as their positive
reviews. As in the first scenario, Cata Vassalo could send these new Spanish consumers a
letter congratulating the bride for their wedding day and for their first anniversary.
As Strengths for this scenario one should mention the potential growth of the brand, the
higher brand image and equity, the higher volume of sales and the advantage over portuguese
competitors. The Threats are the high investment, the high level of competition in Spain,
and a significant loss of potential 2nd Journey consumers, as the brand would only get more
famous and visible then what it currently is, which reduces brand value for them.
Given all the strengths and threats of the three given suggestions, our main recommendation
is that Cata Vassalo chooses the third scenario for the brand to grow. It is the one that
represents a higher potential return on investment, the one that will bring growth to the brand
nationally and internationally, even though it is the one that needs more effort to pursue.
Accordingly, please check a suggestion for the following steps to start deploying the third
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5. THEORETICAL IMPLICATIONS
The Mckinsey & Company CDJ model was fundamental to analyze and define the brands’
consumers and consequently structure and present our recommendations. When adapting the
interviews results to the CDJ model, and while drawing the three different decision journeys,
some adjustments were needed for the wedding accessories market. In this market, before
there is a trigger (the engagement proposal), women already search for accessories for their
wedding, and possibly already have a fixed idea of what they want to purchase. In this market,
the moment of purchase is not significant in what concerns influencing consumers, as
decisions occur mostly prior to this moment. Furthermore, loyalty is not visible through
repurchase, but mainly through recommendations, likes and shares in social media after the
bride gets married. This by its turn deeply influences other brides in the evaluation stage. To
sum up, it is arguable that a CDJ model that fits this market to a higher depth degree would
have first the initial consideration group, than the trigger, then the evaluation stage (where
social media posts and likes are crucial, and fomented by loyal consumers and influencers),
the moment of purchase with fewer influence, and the loyalty loop with no repurchase
experience, where loyal brides recommend to peers, verbally and through a continuous
presence in the brands social media, and accordingly, the loop would not be from purchase
experience to moment of purchase, but rather to evaluation.
6. WORK PROJECT LIMITATIONS
The main constraints when writing this thesis were time (as this is a four months thesis) and
the lack of an opportunity to meet the brand founder and creative director. In what concerns
qualitative in-depth interviews, we were able to interview 21 brides, which is not be a big
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as the scope of this thesis was related to marketing and strategy, all the suggestions will
further need to be evaluated with a financial analysis.
7. REFERENCES
•Berwkits, Michael. 1998. Making Use of Qualitative Research Techniques. J Gen Intern Med. 1998 Mar; 13(3): 195–199. Doi: 10.1046/j.1525-1497.1998.00054.x
•Chaves, Sara. 2019. “Catarina Vassalo, a portuguesa que pôs as celebridades a usar bandoletes” Nit Moda. Available at: https://nit.pt/vanity/moda/catarina-vassalo-portuguesa-celebridades-bandoletes
•Court, David. 2009. “The Consumer Decision Journey”. Mckinsey Quarterly, Available at:
https://www.mckinsey.com/business-functions/marketing-and-sales/our-insights/the-consumer-decision-journey
•Court, David. 2017. “The new battleground for marketing-led growth”. Mckinsey Quarterly, Available at: https://www.mckinsey.com/business-functions/marketing-and-sales/our-insights/the-new-battleground-for-marketing-led-growth
•Edelman, David. 2010. “Branding in the Digital Age: You’re Spending Your Money in All
the Wrong Places”. Harvard Business Review. Available at:
https://hbr.org/2010/12/branding-in-the-digital-age-youre-spending-your-money-in-all-the-wrong-places
•Frederiksen, Lee. 2017. “Why Brand Positioning is Important for Your Firm”. Accounting Web. Available at: https://www.accountingweb.com/practice/practice-excellence/why-brand-positioning-is-important-for-your-firm
•Goulão, José. 2018. “Número de casamentos em Portugal aumentou 3,8% em 2017”. Observador. Available at: https://observador.pt/2018/04/30/numero-de-casamentos-em-portugal-aumentou-38-em-2017/
•Kapferer, Jean-Noel. “The New Strategic Brand Management. Creating and Sustaining Brand Equity Long Term”. 4th Edition. Kogan Page.
•Keller, Kevin. 2013. “Strategic Brand Management. Building, Measuring and Managing Brand Equity”. 4th Edition. Tuck School of Business, Dartmouth College. Pearson Education Limited.
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•Nunez, Kirsty. 2015. Projective Techniques In Qualitative Market Research. American Marketing Association. Available at: https://sdama.org/knowledge/projective-techniques-qualitative-market-research/
•Parry, Rachel. 2018. Understanding the Why? Projective Techniques in Qualitative Research. Research World. Available at: https://www.researchworld.com/understanding-the-why-projective-techniques-in-qualitative-research/
•Pordata. 2018. “Idade Média Ao Primeiro Casamento, Por Sexo”. Fundação Francisco
Manuel dos Santos. Available at:
https://www.pordata.pt/Portugal/Idade+m%c3%a9dia+ao+primeiro+casamento++por+sexo -421-5200
•Schmid, Victoria. 2018. “Why social media is important for business marketing”. Marketing Insider Group. Content Marketing. Available at: https://marketinginsidergroup.com/content-marketing/why-social-media-is-important-for-business-marketing/)
•Thimothy, Solomon. 2016. “Why Brand Image Matters More Than You Think”. Forbes. Available at: https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbesagencycouncil/2016/10/31/why-brand-image-matters-more-than-you-think/#11db3a8410b8
•Wiley, Danielle. 2018. “More Than Awareness: Influencer Marketing's Role In The Sales
Funnel”. Forbes. Available at:
https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbesagencycouncil/2018/05/29/more-than-awareness-influencer-marketings-role-in-the-sales-funnel/#76c6f8e21ace
29 8. APPENDICES 1. Brand Logo 2. Product Offer 3. Communication Channels 4. Pre-Recruiting Questionnaire
5. National Average of Brides age in their First Marriage
6. Interview Guide
7. Suggestion for Cata Vassalo Exclusive Collection Logo
30
1-
BRAND LOGO2-
PRODUCT OFFERHeaddresses for Brides
Headdresses for Guests
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Headbands and Clutches for Guests
32
Earings
3-
COMMUNICATION CHANNELS33
34
4-
PRE-RECRUITING QUESTIONNAIRE5-
NATIONAL AVERAGE OF BRIDES AGE IN THEIR FIRST MARRIAGE
Figure 2 – Source: Pordata, 2018
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6-
INTERVIEW GUIDEWarm-up
“Thank you for your time and availability to be interviewed. The purpose of the interview is understanding how the process of a bride is when choosing accessories and wedding dresses.
For this research, we are using a particular technique: the non-directive method; it means
that I will not ask you specific questions about the subject, as in a standard questionnaire.
After the first question that I will introduce now, you will be free to tell me whatever comes
to your mind on the subject.
If you don’t mind, I will record the interview. This interview will last approximately 1 hour.” Initial Question
What accessories did you use on your wedding and how was the process to get them?
Topics to be Developed
• Opinion on Cata Vassalo – Brand Image
• Headdresses and Earrings- Drivers for decision • Values Heritage and/or Possibility to Reutilize
• Was the type of dress Vs The dress store relevant for my decision? • How did I get to those brands?
36
Additional techniques
Projective techniques:
• Association technique: If you have to describe yourself, what you were feeling, emotionally, spiritually, about your look, all emotions together, on your wedding day,
and relate it to an animal, what would it be?
Respondents’ Profile:
• Year of Engagement, Age, level of education, Marriage Type, Marriage Location
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8-
GANTT CHART FOR SCENARIO 3Notes:
0- This model was constructed under the assumption there is financial availability and
production capacity in the beginning of the timeline symbolized by “now”.
*1- Start just before the physical store is available (T14)
*2- After hiring in Spain (T2)
*3- Contrary to the website, social media accounts should start activity when pictures are
ready.
*4- Associating the portuguese and spanish accounts through the tagging function and
inviting followers of the portuguese account to follow the spanish one Now
…
J F M AP MY JN JL A S O N D …
T1- Hire In Portugal T2- Hire in Spain (*1)
T3- Contact photographers and take pictures
with spanish models in spanish known venues
T4-Make the Portuguese website available in
English and Spanish
T5-Build an ".es" domain
T6-Allow people to start conversations with
a Spanish worker (*2)
T7- Have pictures with spanish models
appearing on the website
T8-Create a Spanish account that shares
content with spanish models and venues (Instagram and Facebook) (*3)
T9-Relate both pages (*4) T10-Contact influencers, leverage on their
followers (*5)
T11- Train the spanish team manage their
social accounts (*6)
T12- Let Spanish workers manage it T13-Sell Online (*7) T14 - Find an Available place T15- Build the atelier
T16-Open the Atelier and sell physically General T17-Control procedures
2020 Website Social Media Sales & Atelier People Milestones TASKS
38
*5- They are fundamental to increase awareness, nevertheless, they will only make deals with
brands that have already shown content
*6- In order for Cata Vassalo Portugal not to be overloaded with work, spanish workers
should learn what are the necessary steps to pursue a successful social media presence.
*7- Online sales is the starting point. Initially this option would be available in the portuguese
website translated to spanish, and afterwards from the “.es” domain as soon as it is ready. The Atelier in Portugal should export until the Atelier in Spain is ready.
